Air-supplying device for diving purposes.



No. 638,392. Patented Dec. 5, I899.

F. A. HENSLEY. AIR SUPPLYING DEVICE FOR DIVING PURPOSES.

(Application filed Apr. 24, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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FRANK A. HENSLEY, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

AlR-SUPPLYING DEVICE FOR DIVING PURPOSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,392, dated December 5, 1899.

Application filed April 24, 1899. Serial No. 714,203- (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK A. HENSLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Air- Supplying Device for Diving Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved airsupplying device for diving purposes; and it has for its object to provide a new and useful device of this character especially designed for the use of divers and capable of being carried by the diver beneath the water and providing simple and efficient means for maintaining a constantsupply of purified air,thereby enabling a person to remain under water for an indefinite period without any connection with an air-pump or other air-supplying device above the water.

To this end the invention contemplates a device in which the air passes through what may be termed a closed cycle and after exhalation from the diver is passed through water and thoroughly purified before being again inhaled, thus insuring a supply of thoroughly-purified air that will render the device capable of being used beneath the water for a long period of time.

With these and other objects in view, which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

While the invention is necessarily susceptible to modification without departing from the spirit or principle thereof, still the preferred embodiment of the same is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the air-supplying device constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a watertight air reservoir constructed in any suitable size according to the required capacity and preferably of a cylindrical form; but it will of course be understood that the shape of the air-reservoir is not important to the successful operation of the device and may be changed to adapt the device to any particular diving apparatus, so as not to materially impede the movements of the diver under the water. The air-reservoir 1, including the parts attached thereto, is preferably designed to be attached to the back of a diver, so as to be out of the way of the hands and arms; but as the device may be carried by the diver in any suitable manner the same is not shown in its applied position in the drawings.

The water-tight air-reservoir 1 of the device'is entirely closed at its upper end and is provided with a lower open end, in which is fitted the upper open end of the water-chamber 2, which projects a distance below the air-reservoir and is open at both its upper and lower ends in order that a circulation of fresh water may be always maintained therein, thereby insuring the thorough purification of the air which is exhaled from the diver. The upper end of the pendent waterchamber 2, which is preferably in the form of a cylinder, is fitted within the lower open end of the air-reservoir 1 in any suitable manner to afford a water and air tight connection between the two parts, and said upper end of the water-chamber is provided with an inwardly-disposed upwardly-converging flange 3, which forms between the same and the adjacent wall of the air-reservoir 1 an annular water-circulating space 4, with which communicates a plurality of water-circulating openings 5, formed in the wall of the reservoir 1 near the lower end thereof. The provision of the annular water-circulating space 4 and the circulating-openings 5 permits the water which rises from the chamber 2 to pass out of the air-reservoir, so that the water through which the exhaled air rises will be constantly displaced by fresh water.

The purified air is taken from the closed top portion of the air-reservoir 1 through the air-supply pipe 6. This air-supply pipe 6 is arranged centrally within the air-reservoir and has the upper end thereof extended to a point in close proximity to the top of the reservoir, so as to always be disposed above the level of the water within the device, and said supply-pipe has the lower end portion 7 thereof extended laterally through the waterchamber 2 and has attached thereto the flexible inhaling-tube 8, which is attached to one of the branches 9 of the valved mouthpiece 10. The mouthpiece 10 is provided with a single nipple connection 11, which is designed to connect with the mouthpiece 12 of a diving apparatus or suit; but it will of course be understood that the said nipple connection 11 is designed to provide av connection between the air-supplying device and the helmet or mouthpiece or any diving suit or apparatus. At opposite sides of the plane of the nipple connection 11 the mouthpiece 10 is provided with the oppositely-located valve-seats 13, over which are arranged to work the checkvalves 14 and 14, which have an alternate movement to enable the diver to inhale puri fied air and exhale the used air through a different channel. The valve 14 controls the passage through the inlet branch 9 of the mouthpiece, while the valve 14 controls the passage through the other exhaling branch of the mouthpiece, and said exhaling branch has attached thereto the flexible exhaling-tube 15, which is fitted to the exhaust-pipe 1(5 of the device.

The exhaust-pipe 16 is fitted in the wall of the water-chamber 2 and has attached to its inner end, within the water-chamber, a pendent frustoconical exhaust-cup 17. The said exhaust-cup 17 is provided at its upper wide end with an annular series of air-escape openings 18, through which the exhaled air escapes and is broken up into bubbles, which rise in the water of the chamber 2, while the lower contracted end of the exhaustcup 17 is provided with a single water-circulating opening 19 therein.

In the operation of the air-supplying device it will be understood that when the diver inhales the valve 14L" for the exhaling-passage closes and the valve 14 for the inhaling-pas sage opens, thereby allowing purified air to be drawn from the air-reservoir through the air-supplying pipe and inhaling-tube and thence through the mouthpiece within the diving suit or apparatus. As the air is being drawn from the air-reservoir the water rises through the water-chamber into said reservoir to displace the air taken therefrom. When the diver eXhales, the positions of the valves are reversed and the used air passes through the eXhaling-tube and the exhaustpipe into the exhaust-cup 17,where it is broken up into numerous bubbles by the air-escape openings 18 and rises in the water, so as to become thoroughly purified before again passing into the air-reservoir. As the water in the water-chamber is made lighter by the air bubbles passing through the same, it also rises quite readily and, passing over the flange 3 into the circulating-space t, escapes through the circulating-openings 5, so that a constant supply of fresh water will be circulated into the water-chamber. This operation is repeated as long as the diver wishes to stay under water, and at this point it may be observed that the water-circulating opening 19 in the bottom of the exhaust-cup 17 allows the water to flow in and out of said cup as the air accumulates in the same from a rapid expulsion from the diver. It will therefore be seen that the exhaled air is thrown intimately in contact with the water in the water-chamber and is therefore necessarily purified before being again inhaled by the diver.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction,operation,and many advantages of the herein-described air-supplying device will be readily apparent without further description, and I would have it understood that changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. In an air-supplying device of the class described, a submergible air'reservoir adapted to receive water in connection with air,and inhaling and exhaling pipe connections with the reservoir to provide for the circulation of the air in a closed cycle, the eXhaling-pipe being adapted to discharge through the water in the reservoir.

2. In an air-supplying device of the class described, a submergible air-reservoir adapted to contain water within one end, an inhaling-pipe connection communicating with the reservoir above the water therein, and an exhalingpipe connection disposed below the level of the water in the reservoir, substantially as set forth.

3. In an air-supplying device, a submergible air-reservoir having a water-chamber at its lower end, an inhaling-pipe connection with the top portion of the reservoir, and an exhalingpipe connection with the waterchamber of the reservoir, substantially as set forth.

4. In an air-supplying device of the class described, asubmergible reservoir open at its lower end and sealed at such end by the water whensubmerged therein, and inhaling and exhaling pipe connections respectively with the top and bottom portions of the reservoir, substantially as set forth.

5. In an air-supplying device of the class described, a submergible air-reservoir having a lower open end, an open water-chamber eX- tension projected from the lower open end of the reservoir, means for circulating-the water through said chamber, and inhaling and exhaling connections respectively with the reservoir and the water-chamber extension thereof, substantially as set forth.

6. In an air-supplying device of the class described, a submergible reservoir provided near the lower end thereof with a series of water-circulating openings, a water-cylinder open at both ends and provided at its upper end within the air-reservoir with an inwardlydisposed flange forming the inner wall of an annular circulating-space communicating with said circulating-openings, and inhaling and exhaling pipe connections respectively With the reservoir and said Water-chamber, substantially as set forth.

7. In an air-supplying device of the class described, a submergible air-reservoir having an open Water-chamber extension at its lower end, an inhaling-pipe connection communieating with the interior of the air-reservoir, an exhaling-pipe connection with the waterchainber extension, and an air-exhaust pipe suspended Within the watenchamber extension from the exhaling-pipe connection and provided in the bottom with a Water-circulating opening and at the closed top thereof With a plurality of air-escape openings, substantially as set forth.

8. In an air-supplying device of the class described, a submergible airreservoir having an open Water-chamber extension at the bottom, air supply and exhaust pipes communicating respectively with the interior of the reservoir and the Water-chamber extension thereof, a mouthpiece having separate branches, a single nipple connection, and check-valves arranged respectively at opposite sides of said nipple connection and inhalin g and exhaling tubes respectively connecting the separate branches of the mouthpiece with said air supply and exhaust pipes, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK A. HENSLEY.

Witnesses:

T. M. PASOHAL, T. E.-PASCHAL. 

